An update on the TechHub project

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Since the TechHub project was first announced on TechCrunch Europe, I figure we owe you an update here, just so you know what is going on with it.

As you can read here, TechHub – the project to create a create a large space for tech startups from the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, the US and beyond to work and meet in London – has been busy since the idea first broke cover. I’ll declare my interest: I am acting as a strategic board advisor, although once the project is up and running I won’t be involved in any ‘day to day’ decisions.

Elizabeth Varley has been an incredible lead for this project, and last week, took the idea straight in to the heart of the UK government. More on that in a moment.

TechHub has been talking to several groups: Potential corporate sponsors who would like to showcase what they do to the tech startup community are very interested. I would not be saying too much if I said this included major ISPs and large technology companies. Indeed, one of them is talking about potentially putting a massive broadband pipe into TechHub.

There are also many additional organisations that want to support the project or align themselves with TechHub. Lastly but by no means least, there are now a great many people – entrepreneurs, developers, you name it – who want to become members of the space.

It’s probably also worth pointing out that TechHub is not going to be an incubator. It won’t be attached to an investment fund. It will be ‘fund agnostic’. Thus, other funds in London and Europe will be able to use it as a touch-down point for their emerging startups and also come to TechHub to network with the community there.

TechHub could well be “The Tourist office for Europe’s tech scene”. And that’s the potential here: to create a physical space that is always there, always available, for anyone to tap into the community across the UK and the rest of Europe.

Last week Elizabeth Varley secured a major coup – getting a meeting about TechHub at No.10 Downing Street (the residence of the UK Prime Minister). That meeting was so positive that it looks like she’ll be going back again to talk about it at a ministerial level.

This has great sponsorship opportunities for a pan-European airline (or travel company?) as well as London hotels, to give out something like scholarships for European startups to come and spend some time in London. Getting to and staying in London is a huge problem why the face to face contacts especially among the non-financed European startups are lacking.

http://twitter.com/evarley Elizabeth Varley

Great thoughts Jüri and you’re absolutely right about that face-to-face networking – bursaries would be great to help not-yet-funded companies visit and work here.

London’s a really expensive city, which is why we’re keen to keep membership costs for TechHub as low as possible to make it as accessible as possible to those with great ideas and talent, who need to make the most of opportunities in London.

http://thenextweb.com/uk/2010/01/11/techhub-aims-heart-europes-startup-scene/ TechHub aims to be the heart of Europe’s start-up scene

[…] only Europe’s entrepreneurs, but also the UK government and a number of large businesses. As Mike Butcher wrote last month: “Potential corporate sponsors who would like to showcase what they do to the tech startup […]

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